Chapter 1833 1835 [Berlin Film Festival]
In February, Xiang Nan led the crew of "Old Well" to Berlin, Germany, to participate in the film festival held there.
This is also Xiang Nan’s first time to participate in the award ceremony. Prior to this, although he had received invitations from the Academy Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards, and the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, he had never been there once.
On the one hand, he is self-aware and knows that his acting skills are not high and the script is not polished to perfection, so he won''t get an award even at the awards ceremony.
On the one hand, he is not greedy for awards. He is more concerned about the box office of the movie. Whether he wins or not depends entirely on fate. It''s great to get a prize, but it doesn''t matter if you don''t get it. Anyway, the films he makes are basically commercial films, so the possibility of winning awards is not high.
??If it weren''t for Cong Shan''s popularity this time, he would not have participated in this film festival.
The arrival of Xiang Nan has also added a lot to this Berlin Film Festival.
After all, he is an international star with hundreds of millions of fans around the world.
?Although the three major European film festivals advertise art, they are still essentially a platform for buying and selling movies, just like car shows and game shows.
Every year, thousands of filmmakers bring their works to the exhibition, and tens of thousands of film dealers come here to purchase films every year. The annual transaction volume is between one billion and several billion US dollars.
Since it is a trade fair, it naturally needs exposure and attention. As a world-class superstar, Xiang Nan''s visit to the film festival is of course a great thing for the Berlin Film Festival.
?Media from all walks of life came to interview and report on the event, including many internationally influential media, such as BBC, Der Spiegel, AFP, Bloomberg, etc.
Seeing the reporters chasing Xiang Nan and the fans cheering, applauding and blowing kisses to him, the crew of "Old Well" was a little shocked.
?They knew that Xiang Nan was famous, but they didn''t know how famous he was until they saw him with their own eyes.
“Ning Wei, you are so amazing.” Cong Shan couldn’t help but sigh.
“It’s okay.” Xiang Nan smiled. In fact, he is not very popular in Europe. After all, there is its own film industry and its own stars.
In South America and Southeast Asia, where the local entertainment industry is relatively backward, fans would flock to fill up the hotels where they stayed.
…
After arriving in Berlin, Xiang Nan began to promote "Old Well" and try to win as many votes as possible.
You must know that the three major film festivals and even the Oscars are all inseparable from human connections. In the same way, whoever is good at maneuvering and catering to the tastes of the judges will be the easiest to win votes.
? ? Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood tycoon, won so many Oscars through business. It is precisely because of this that those artists are rushing to cooperate with him.
Xiang Nan knew this, so in order for Cong Shan to win the award, he had to start working hard. Take Cong Shan to accept media interviews, take her to visit film festival judges, well-known European filmmakers, etc.
?Of course, he also promised a lot of things.
??For example, he agreed to help Roman Rolansky and let his lover Natasha Kinski be the heroine of his film; he agreed to Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore to invest in his new work...
It is precisely because of his generosity that he got a lot of votes.
In addition, "Old Well", as the first film to participate in the three major European film festivals after China''s reform and opening up, has attracted attention and preference.
??Just like when Zhang Yimou participated in the exhibition with "Red Sorghum" and immediately won the Golden Bear Award. But in fact, "Red Sorghum" is his first time as a director. How good can it be? Can it really surpass other films exhibited at the same time?
Therefore, at the final awards ceremony, "Old Well" won the Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear Award, Cong Shan won the Berlin Film Festival Best Actress Award, and Zhang Yimou was nominated for Best Actor.
It can be said to be a great success.
“Ning Wei, that’s really great~” Cong Shan said happily. She is the first Chinese actor to win the Best Actress title at an international film festival. This honor is really too precious.
“Yes, congratulations, you can feel proud.” Xiang Nan smiled.
Before, Cong Shan was often ostracized, and some people accused her of not knowing how to act. Now that the title of Best Actress in Berlin is in hand, it’s time to see who dares to comment.
?However, Xiang Nan also knew that Cong Shan was a little shy about winning this award.
On the one hand, it is because of his public relations, and on the other hand, it is the first time for a Chinese film to participate in the exhibition, so it has the so-called novice''s luck.
…
? ?Due to the award-winning "Old Well", the film sold well in the end, with a total of more than 5 million US dollars in royalties, which is considered very good.
After all, its cost is less than 800,000 yuan.
After the Berlin Film Festival ends, the mainland delegation will go back.
Before leaving, Xiang Nan pulled Zhang Yimou and said, "Mr. Zhang, I watched the film "Old Well" and I think your photography skills are very good and you are quite talented in color and composition. I think you can be a director. Yes, how about it, do you have any plans in this regard? "
Although Zhang Yimou is the star of "Old Well", he is also the cinematographer of this film. As long as there is no role for him, he will be the photographer. Many of the shots in the movie were shot by him, and they were very high-quality.
“I’m a director?!” Zhang Yimou was stunned.
Of course he wanted to be a director. However, at that time, state-owned film studios also needed to rank based on seniority. Since he doesn''t have the qualifications, the studio won''t let him direct a movie at all.
"Yes, let me ask you one thing. To be honest, do you want to be a director?" Xiang Nan nodded and asked.
Zhang Yimou blinked and then nodded, "Of course I want to be a director."
??As for all filmmakers, there is no one who doesn’t want to be a director.
After all, as a director, you can speak your mind, you can shoot according to your own wishes, and you can use this to express your own ideas... which is much more powerful than a photographer.
"Okay, as long as you have the intention." Xiang Nan nodded, "I have a movie that I would like you to direct. Are you interested?"
“Which one?” Zhang Yimou asked curiously.
“This is Red Sorghum.” Xiang Nan handed the script into his hands and said.
Zhang Yimou became interested as soon as he heard it.
In 1983, Xiang Nan published a number of influential works in mainland literary journals, causing a sensation in the literary world.
One of them is "Red Sorghum".
That is a novella, telling a story about my grandfather and my grandmother during the Anti-Japanese War.
The story is very tastefully written. Although the text is rough, the characters are very vivid. Looking at those words, one can think of the endless red sorghum on the plains, with thick roots, thick ears, and dark green leaves, full of vitality, just like the five thousand years of Chinese civilization.
No matter how many hardships, setbacks, and wars we have suffered, we will always keep our spine straight and keep our spirits high.
Zhang Yimou liked that novel very much, so now that Xiang Nan was about to give it to him to direct, he was very excited.
(End of this chapter)